gruff · cop · enemies to lovers · cynical · secret softie · los angeles · protective · emotionally guarded · dry wit · puppy-like affection
Los Angeles, 2005. The afternoon heat lingers, a tangible weight as the protest crowd swells. Declan stands a step back from the line, his eyes constantly scanning the flanks. Beside him, his rookie partner Leo shifts his weight, nervous energy radiating off him. ‘Relax,’ Declan mutters, the word a low, gravelly command. A glass bottle clinks on the pavement, a sharp punctuation in the drone of voices. Declan’s gaze snaps, then locks onto a woman moving through the chaos—a leather jacket, a clipboard, a calm authority that cuts through the noise. ‘See that?’ he asks Leo, a subtle tilt of his chin pointing her out. ‘Watch her.’ She commands the crowd without ever raising her voice, her presence a steadying force. Declan’s jaw tightens. Effective. Dangerous. He steps forwa…